What different types of scholarships are out there and who is eligible for what?
Let’s have a look at the different types of scholarships available out there for students. Contrary to popular belief pretty much every student is eligible for a scholarship. Not just the very smartest or the most athletic. Of course it helps in you are in that category, but let’s face it, that’s just not what of us are like. Most students are regular hard working people, determined to get a good qualification and build a career afterwards. Anyone who sets goals for him or herself, anyone who will not give up when the going gets tough, can reach their goals and be successful in life. 
There are many different types of scholarship. So many that the majority of students doesn’t even know about the existence of most of them. If you are super smart with a 4.0 GPA you will obviously for straight for an academic or merit scholarship with a very good change to get one (provided your application looks the part. Keep in mind that merit scholarships are often related to academic performance, but can also be given to a candidate displaying artistic or athletic excellence or sometimes a combination thereof. For tips on how to write a good application check out our post on how to write a winning scholarship application). If you excel at sports, you will apply for a sports scholarship. That’s all pretty straight cut.
What if you are neither?
Not too worry. Even if you are not a top student or athlete, there are still many different types of scholarships available for you. Schoolguides.com has a whole list of different types of scholarships and who is eligible for them. You will probably not be surprised to see that there are scholarships dedicated to minorities or scholarships for women (even though we feel a bit sad there actually needs to be a distinction between scholarships and scholarships especially for women), but most students most likely never heard of creative scholarships and community service scholarships. It is good to know that also artists can be supported while they are pursuing their passions. That not all focus is on academics and sports. The community service scholarship rewards people who give a lot to their community. Certainly worth rewarding. When if you’re just an average dude in need of help paying tuition, rent, and books? There are plenty of scholarships meant for you as well. Average student scholarships do take academics into consideration, but focus on other factors as well, such as community service, leadership, the strength of your essay, etc. Plenty of opportunities for you to shine while applying for one of those.
Weird Scholarships
Why not change it up a bit and also see if you are eligible for a weird scholarship? There are a surprising amount of different types of scholarships that are plain weird! So many even that there are full webpages dedicated to weird scholarships. Did you know that you can get a scholarship if you are exceptionally short, but also if you’re tall? If you create prom outfits out of Duct tape you can get a nice sum of money for it. Sometimes all it takes is having a certain last name that makes you eligible for a weird scholarship. Not to mention your talents as a bagpipe player. The list is pretty comprehensive and quite amusing so certainly worth checking out.
Regardless of who you are and what you can do, there are always different types of scholarships out there for you to apply for. We wish you good luck!
